29 December 2009

Simon Cowell was sad when Oasis broke up. “I think it was inevitable,” he sighs. “But I think it was a shame. I love [Noel and Liam Gallagher] as people too by the way…I wouldn’t be surprised if they got back together.”

The Oasis front man is upset over the manner of Mark Hughes' sacking, but insists Mancini shouldn't be blamed.

Gallagher told TalkSport: “Only time will tell if this is a good appointment because we cannot beat Mancini with a huge stick because it’s not his fault, he might come in and be a wizard, but I think it’s the timing and the fact that this guy’s never managed in England, it’s insane.

“What football supporters don’t like is to be treated like mugs. I guess everybody would have said at the start of the season that Hughes aint going to be around much longer but when the owners of the club are coming out and saying, ‘no, he’s the man for us’ it’s not right.

“I guess we can learn some lessons from Liverpool on this. How Mark Hughes is out of a job and Rafa Benitez is in one is beyond me.”

Manchester City celebrity fan Noel Gallagher admits he was shocked by the sacking of Mark Hughes.

Gallagher hasn't been impressed by all of Hughes' summer signings, but insists he thought the former Manchester United striker had the club going in the right direction.

He told TalkSport: “Well, it was kind of confusing because it was one win in eleven (matches) but two losses in sixteen so it depended on which side of the bed you got out of.

“There were sections of fans calling for his head and everyone else saying he shouldn’t have gone.

"To me, I thought he was brilliant. I thought we were going in the right direction, I thought the team were playing great apart from maybe (Kolo) Toure, who was the worst of the lot but apart from that I thought we were brilliant. I cannot get my head around why they’ve done it now. The end of the season fair enough but now is just beggars belief because they’ve got the Christmas period coming up and if we had have stuck with Mark and won those three games in a row, we’d be back in the top four, no question.

"Mancini’s going to come in, what’s he going to do? He’s going to have a shopping list ready I would have thought so we are now starting from the bottom again, like, kind of, rebuilding the team.”

Ray Davies has confirmed to Sky News that he has set the wheels in motion to get back with the group he split from 13 years ago.

"I've done some demos with the original rhythm line up," says Davies, "and it's good."

Ray's brother Dave suffered a stroke five years ago, but now he has recovered sufficiently to play some solo gigs next year.

Ray says the success of them will decide the fate of the reunion shows.

"The important thing for me is whether or not my brother comes on board," Ray says, "but if it does happen it's got to have new material. I don't just want to do the oldies because that would not be interesting to me.

"You've got to feel you can make new product and new music."

Davies has filmed two episodes of the Sky Arts music show Songbook, where he explains the genesis of his classic songs, and performs them acoustically.

He's also backed by the choir that appears on his latest album, Kinks Choral Collection.

"With this record I've moved forward and backwards at the same time," laughs Davies.

"What's surprised me is the impact the choir has made on a lot of these songs. I didn't want it to be just simply a remake of the records so I had to re-examine them."

Davies also has some advice for the more recent set of famous bickering rock brothers, the Gallaghers from Oasis.

"It's inevitable that sibling rivalry emerges and people fall out," says Ray. "I've been falling out with Dave for years, and since we haven't been playing together we haven't fallen out at all, which is a good sign."

"Records like 'All Day and All Of The Night' couldn't have been made without an element of tension.

"I think it'll be sad if Oasis don't get back together, I only know the guys roughly, but we've met, and I get the feeling they will realise it'll be worth doing some more stuff together."

“You can always put your trust in Manchester music and the Vortex are set for big things, they've been setting their controls for the heart of the northern anthem as if Kasabian never existed. Plus, the new demos have been surpassing all expectation: pure anthems for party people. Oh yeah, they just added Bonehead (of Oasis fame) on guitar.” ALAN MCGEE (writing in The Guardian)

"While Liam Gallagher mouths off about Noel, their old bandmate, Bonehead - has been cracking on with new band THE VORTEX. They are doing a sellout show at the Manchester Academy tomorrow. An album is out next year. THE SUN - December 09 Following on for their successful UK and European tours this autumn, The Vortex are back on tour in 2010 by massive public demand. With their album almost finished (due for a March ‘10 release), huge press interest, and unprecedented sell-out shows for an as-yet unsigned act, The Vortex step up their plan to be the most important rock ‘n’ roll band in 2010.

Dates are being booked NOW for dates in Feb/Mar/Apr/May/June/July and for the rest of 2010. There will be national tour ads and full radio and press support for all shows.

Paul Weller has said that he believes that Oasis splitting has been a good thing – and told NME.COM that he would be happy to work with both Noel and Liam Gallagher.

The Jam's former frontman said that he liked both the Gallaghers "equally" and would not pick sides because of the split.

"Creatively, I think the Oasis split is going to be good thing," he said. "There's going to be some great things to come from both of them in the future. I'd definitely be up for collaborating with Liam and with Noel. I love them both equally, and think they’re both extremely talented in their own ways."

Weller is set to return with his own album in the spring which features contributions from My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. He will also play a residency at London's Royal Albert Hall in April.

20 December 2009

Keep a eye out for friend of the site Stevie Riks on The All Star Impression Show that airs on Saturday, December 26 at 9.30pm on ITV1.

In one of the several Stevie Riks sketches that will be shown, Liam and Noel Gallagher talk about the Oasis split on the Jeremy Kyle show.

Comedian Harry Hill pops in to try to sort out a argument that breaks out, and it ends up in a fight.

ITV PRESS RELEASE

If you want to see celebrities undergo amazing transformations to become hilarious versions of global superstars… then The All Star Impressions Show is the place to be as David Gest gives us Sir Tom Jones, Eammon Holmes does his best Elvis, and Joe Pasquale goes Lady GaGa,.

Also swapping their well-known profiles for another set of famous features are Les Dennis as Take That legend Gary Barlow, Jerry Hall as Katie Price, Tim Healy and Paul Daniels as an old Ant and Dec, and many, many more.

Plus, the programme features a special cameo from Harry Hill, a live performance from JLS and will also showcase the comic talents of Stevie Riks, one of the UK’s best up and coming impressionists.

Best known for punching photographers and brawling with brother Noel, the Oasis singer spent last week on nature trails and bird-watching.

Liam, 36, wife Nicole Appleton and their sevenyear-old son Gene joined pals for a five-day break near Longleat in Wiltshire. Other guests couldn't believe their eyes as Liam wandered around the park, where cars are banned in favour of bikes.

He even completed his own Wonderwall - climbing a 30ft wall with helmet and ropes.

The singer and friends enjoyed pizza at the site's Strada restaurant on Tuesday night before he popped into the park's shop and bought three bottles of champagne to take back to his luxury lodge.

Liam, whose band have lost £5million through missed concerts following his bitter split with Noel in August, is thought to have paid around £450 for the four-bedroom lodge.

One guest at the park said: "He's not the type of person you'd expect to see at Center Parcs! You don't get a lot of guitar-smashing and fist-fighting here."

In previous years Liam - whose hits include Some Might Say - has flown out to the Caribbean and Mediterranean with Nicole, 35.

19 December 2009

"Whatever" is a single by British rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was released 19 December 1994 as a stand-alone single bridging the gap between Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe, and their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. "Whatever" entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, their first single to enter the top 5, something every single released since, up to 2005's Let There Be Love, has also accomplished. The strings were played by the London Session Orchestra, arranged by Nick Ingham and Noel Gallagher.

The song joins the infectious pop-rock melodies of Definitely Maybe with the more sophisticated lyrics of (What's the Story) Morning Glory, preaching universal tolerance and the acceptance of all ideas and beliefs in a typically straightforward, Mancunian way. The first lines ("I'm free to be whatever I/Whatever I choose/And I'll sing the blues if I want") may have been Noel's reaction to his father's insistence that he join the building trade.

"Whatever" was released as a contender for the coveted position of Christmas #1, 1994It is a testament to Noel Gallagher's all-conquering self confidence that he should predict "Whatever"'s success before he was even given a record contract, saying "In the beginning, there was a masterplan, to the extent that I knew that 'Whatever,' one of the first songs I ever wrote, would be a Christmas Top Five hit, but I think anyone who heard the song could have told you that."

When Oasis performed the song for Top of the Pops, they mimed and one of the cello players from the symphony was replaced by Bonehead, who clearly had no idea how his instrument is supposed to be played. Towards the end of the song, he gave up the pretense and started using the bow to conduct. A woman plays his rhythm guitar. The song was introduced by Damon Albarn of Blur who would later famously feud with Oasis. As Albarn introduced the song, the Gallagher brothers made hand gestures behind him, which only served to heighten the feud between the bands.

"Whatever" has been performed live by Oasis many times, sometimes with the ambitious symphony which accompanies the single version, sometimes without. They often end live versions of the song with lyrics adapted from the Beatles song "Octopus's Garden." They have also been known to add the lines "All the young blues....carry the news...", in reference to the Mott the Hoople song "All The Young Dudes". The "blues" are the fans of the Gallaghers' beloved Manchester City F.C.. At their famous performances at Knebworth in August 1996, the song was accompanied throughout by harmonica player Mark Feltham and is generally regarded by fans as one of the highlights of their set.

The B-Sides of "Whatever" were quite famous as well. One of them, "Slide Away" was already featured on their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The other two - "(It's Good) To Be Free" and "Half the World Away" - were later featured on The Masterplan, a collection of Oasis's best b-sides. "Slide Away" and "Half the World Away" would also be featured on Oasis' 2006 "best of" album Stop the Clocks, although "Whatever" itself was not included.

'Whatever' spent a total of 50 weeks in the UK Singles chart, more than any Oasis single to date. In 2007 Coronation Street's Charlie Stubbs was murdered while 'Whatever' played.

Rock legend and Big Issue cover star Bob Dylan has revealed Robert Burns' song 'A Red, Red Rose' is his most inspirational track, on a celebrity calendar to raise cash for CLIC Sargent.

The singer is one of 18 celebrities who have revealed whch song has had most influence on them for the limited edition HMV 'My Inspiration' calendar, which features a portrait of a different star on each monthly page, alongside an explanation of the track they have chosen.

Dylan is in turn picked out by this week's Big Issue cover artist Paul McCartney and U2's Bono as being the biggest influence on them, choosing 'She Belongs to Me' and 'Visions of Johanna' respectively.

Other artists include Noel Gallagher, who picked The Stone Roses' 'She Bangs The Drum', Bruce Springsteen choosing 'This Land is Your Land' by Woody Guthrie, and Deborah Harry, who went for Leonard Cohen's 'Waiting for the Miracle'.

The project was kicked off by David Bowie in September 2006, when he chose Syd Barrett's 'Gigolo Aunt' as his most inspirational track. Since then over 150 artists have joined in, including The Killers and newcomers Lady Gaga and La Roux.

The 'My Inspiration' calendar, produced by Danilo and priced £7.99, is available now from HMV stores, Waterstones, and online at www.hmv.com. The proceeds will be donated to CLIC Sargent, which cares for children and young adults with cancer.

17 December 2009

In the Spring of 1991 a journalist interviewed a person who would later become an enormous rockstar and musical legend, but at the time he was merely a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets. The journalist couldn't get hold of the Inspiral Carpets, so instead she snapped up an interview with their roadie, Noel Gallagher.

What do you think of the British Music industry at the moment?'Current charts? Chesney Hawkes - bag of shit, right, but Gary Clail and that, Inspirals, Happy Mondays, Ride, Blur and all them lot, it's good that they're all in the charts. Very, very, very healthy. Indeed.'

You've always been a fan, but how did you end up working with the Inspirals?'When Stephen Oat [The Inspiral Carpets original singer] left, they said to me, "Do you want to do a bit of the singing cos, like, you know all the songs and that", and I said, 'Yeah'. So I auditioned, couldn't sing a fucking note but they said, "Be a roadie" and I said 'I'll be a roadie, that'll do me.'

I've been accused of trying to get an Inspirals interview in an underhand way...'All I can say to that is, they are the way they are. Y'know if I was in the band I'd do an interview with any c**t.'

What do you think of the Happy Mondays playing stadiums?'The Mondays are trying it now but they'll find out that it'll be half full - 35,000 people...It's a lot of fucking people, man. It's like saying that everyone that's ever bought one of your records is gonna come to your gig. It doesn't happen like that. I mean, like Spike Island. It was hyped in the press as being 40,000 sold out, there's no way there was more than 20,000. Y'know, I've seen gigs. I can judge how many people are in a fucking field. So there's no point in putting on massive great big gigs outdoors on the fucking side of a hill and being shit - you can't get the sound right, the facilities are shit, you can't get the right support bands...'

I think you should get rid of Tom Hingley (Inspirals second singer after Oat). New year's resolution: get rid of Tom.'You'd be justified in saying that, and the rest of the band would, if he wasn't such a good singer. This band don't need a Shaun Ryder at the front of the stage, I'd be stood there, it's as simple as that.

Tom's a good singer. Maybe he's a knobhead, maybe he pisses people off like you. That's the way it is. All I'm concerned with is what comes out of them speakers at the end of the fucking night, and what goes on to records. What it's all about is the songs, anyway, innit? And from the crew point of view, it's all about taking loads of drugs and having a good time!

Tom's a top singer, that's all he's paid for, being a singer in a band. He's not paid to be a spokesman for the youth, that's Shaun Ryder, who's not a singer. You see that in Happy Mondays interviews and Stone Roses interviews - do they ever mention the songs? Never, They mention how many drugs they've taken the night before or how they grew up.

With Inspiral Carpets there's none of that bullshit about them. If it's about image and being hard and all that you might as well set a big stage up and have five guys sat round taking drugs and charge a few thousand people ten pounds each to watch five guys taking drugs.'

I can't see what kick Martyn (Walsh, bass) gets out of the band...'Well, all I can say is, it's like, say you're in Chesney Hawkes's backing band, right? You might think the music's total shit, you might hate everyone you're with but someone says "I'll give you a grand a week." What would you say? I know what I'd do. I'd be in Rod Stewart's backing abdn for a thousand pounds a week [laughs]. Wouldn't you? I would.'

So are you going to stay with the Inspirals then?'Nah...I'm going to shoot off. Gonna work for the World Of Twist. They're a top band. Fucking mega mega mega band. No one could do what the World Of Twist do, except the World Of Twist. They are top me, one of the fucking bestest bands in Manchester.'

Do you not like working for the Inspirals anymore?'I like it more now. I get paid more. I used to get a fiver a night when we started, now I get 350 quid a week, and as many crisps as I can eat, which is plenty. (Noel leans into the microphone) Cunnilinus fellatio contact, Noel-y Gallagher in the area.'

We could sample that and get Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound Producer) to make a remix with it. Would the Inspirals be into being produced by someone like Adrian Sherwood?'They'd, like, try anything. Because the way I see it, right, is, their album today sits at number five in the charts. We're all going to have a fucking gold disc on the mantelpiece. It wouldn't matter if that fucking fat bastard there in the green overall had produced it, because the songs would have been the same.

And that's what the people vibe off, I could have produced it, it would have been the same, cos that's what people vibe off, a good song. It doesn't matter how it's produced. Classic records, that's what it's all about. Producers. jack shit! They get paid too much. They just sit there. What they do is, there's an engineer, who knows all the mathematical, geographical, fucking religious terms, like PFL, and the producer just sits there, has a spliff and says, "I want to get it to sound like that." I could do it, man. It's about the songs.'

Which are?'"Mermaid" (Inspirals album track, from 'The Beast Inside'). "Mermaid" is shit. Fucking lesbian tune: 'Skipping an a twirling'. Who the fuck goes round fucking skipping and twirling? Except Lesbians? You know what I mean? Never twirled in my life! Never do ant skipping, unless I'm down the Hacienda and Mike Pickering's on and I've had two and a half E's. Bit of skipping going on them.'

War Child Canada's retrospective album, War Child: 10, is available NOW on iTunes and in store. The album marks the 10th anniversary of the charity’s founding in Canada. War Child: 10 features a selection of some of the extraordinary music donated to the cause over the years, as well as exclusive new recordings.

The tracks on War Child: 10 stretch from the very beginning of War Child, right through to this year’s critically acclaimed Heroes record. The album includes music from some of the world’s biggest artists, including Coldplay, Radiohead and a brand new recording from Wolfmother. War Child:10 contains six tracks released for the first time on CD in Canada. These include the recently recorded Patti Smith song “People Have The Power,” by Friends Of War Child – Chantal Kreviazuk, Liam Titcomb, Shiloh and Lucas Silveira of The Cliks.

Since Oasis imploded in August, the singer has been busy launching his clothing line Pretty Green.

But Oasis Mark Two are also working on new songs and Liam, 37, wants every moment caught on camera.

A source told me: “With so many changes in his life Liam decided it would be a good idea to have a record of them.

“He’s got someone filming what he’s working on and that includes the new band making their album, as well as his fashion commitments.

“At the moment he doesn’t know what he’ll do with the footage but if there’s enough demand it could end up being a DVD alongside the new album.”

Liam has already said he hopes to be back on the live music circuit by summer 2010, with a record under his belt. Former Oasis lads Gem Archer, 43, Andy Bell, 39, Chris Sharrock, 45, and Jay Darlington, 41, are all on board the new outfit, which could keep the Oasis moniker.

My source continued: “Liam is fed up with people thinking Noel was the brains behind the group.

“By filming studio sessions, fans can see how hard he works and how involved he is in the creative process.

“Liam takes his job very seriously and isn’t afraid at letting the cameras poke their lenses in to prove it.”

Business will resume after a Christmas break. Meanwhile, Noel has been shy to confirm any plans for solo music.

Russell Brand has been gushing on about Liam Gallagher being his best mate.

The big-haired one, 34, said: "One thing that endlessly surprises me about him is he's the most thoughtful, sensitive person. He gives good advice if I ever have problems with relationships or friendships or fame."

Liam, 37, thoughtful and sensitive? Who'd have thought it?

Oh well, we are not the sort of girls to get in the way of a bromance.

Just arrived from Japan, these Bearbricks come in sets of three: they all feature the Oasis logo on the chest, one with a red, one with a blue Union Jack all-over body design, and one in sky blue. The Oasis Bearbricks are strictly limited and highly collectible, so order now while stocks last!

A fantastic range of Oasis merchandise is now available with 50% off selected items including shirts, jackets, tour programmes and tote bags. Here is just a small example of the offers available but visit the official site here to check out the full range.

Kings Of Leon drummer Nathan Followill is convinced the band will never suffer the same fate as Oasis - because their family ties are too strong.

The band consists of brothers Nathan, Caleb and Jared, and their cousin Mathew.Nathan admits that although the group does fight regularly, they will never follow in the footsteps of British band Oasis - who split over the summer (09) following a bust-up between warring siblings Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Nathan tells Britain's Q magazine, "I'm not sure what happened with those guys. All brothers fight, they just forgot to do the making up bit. But then again, they seemed to be having the same family row (fight) for like, 10 or 15 years so maybe it was time.

"But we have a special strength because we had an upbringing where we didn't have outsiders in the social circle for the longest time. That makes a big difference. We bug the hell out of each other day to day, but the relationship is so deep it can be like we share a brain between us. We might kill each other, but I don't think we'd split."

Tom Meighan spoke about his love for Oasis and revealed how seeing the band for the first time "changed his life".

He told Dabbl.co.uk: "I went to see Oasis in Manchester when I was 17 with Serge, and that changed my life because it was right in the middle of when their big hit come out and Oasis were absolutely massive, you know, super-massive, and it just took my breath away.

"That changed my life, looking at them as rock stars, and I was just absolutely gobsmacked and blown away."

10 December 2009

Funnyman Russell Brand has praised his friend Noel Gallagher for supporting him over the last few years, insisting the rocker always finds time to listen to his problems.

The comedian met the former Oasis star at a stand-up gig in London in 2004, and the pair has been close pals ever since.

Brand admits he always turns to the guitarist in a crisis, because Gallagher makes him feel better when times are hard.

He tells Britain's Q magazine, "One thing that endlessly surprises me about him is he's the sweetest, most thoughtful, sensitive person. He gives very good advice, if I ever have problems with relationships or friendships or fame."

And Brand will always be grateful to Gallagher for standing by him last year (08), when the comic quit his British radio show after he and fellow broadcaster Jonathan Ross were heavily criticised for leaving "grossly offensive" messages on TV star Andrew Sachs' answer machine during a live broadcast.

Brand adds, "After all that happened, he (Gallagher) went, 'It's a f**king load of b**locks, don't take it seriously.' He knows I'm not a malicious person."